Chinese Arts Centre

Placing the Artist

Trevor Chan — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:42:39 +0000

Free Open Discussion Forum

Placing the Artist
Questioning the value of artist residencies
Date: Thur 1 March 2012
Time: 6-8pm

A series of short presentations followed by an audience led open forum discussion, intended to critically respond to the rising popularity of artist residencies. Asking what initial and lasting value they may have for their location, the host organisation and the participant.

With speakers including Ian Hunter (Project Director, The Littoral Arts Trust), Dr Steven Gartside (course leader, MA Contemporary Curating, Manchester Metropolitan University), Mike Chavez-Dawson (Miriad research fellow, artist and curator), Michael Anthony Barnes-Wynters aka Barney (associate producer at Contact and founder of creative arts platform Doodlebug). Chaired by Gass Pendergast.

The evening will also include a commissioned intervention from local Artist Shona Harrison.

The is a free event, to guarantee a place, please reserve your tickets here:
http://guestli.st/88491

Jennifer Chu

Trevor Chan — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:54:01 +0000

Curator in Residence

Jennifer Chu
8 February – 5 March 2012

Jennifer Chu is the assistant curator for the Art Promotion Office (APO) in Hong Kong and will be with us here for one month on a curatorial residency. She will begin with a one week residency over at Islington Mill meeting the art scene over in Salford and then will take up her residency with Chinese Arts Centre for the remainder of her stay.

Jennifer is currently leading on the development for a new arts space of APO at Oil Street and will be using this residency period to develop new connections with the UK art scene, researching in particular the learning and engagement strands of UK art organisations. During her stay Jennifer will be meeting a host of North West and national art organisations and groups including Whitworth Art Gallery, Cornerhouse, Grizedale Arts, Tate Liverpool, Eastside Projects, Centre for Contemporary Arts (Glasgow) and the Fire Station ACME studios to name but a few.

Jennifer graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong with a major in fine arts in 1992 and has worked on a number of roles for both the Hong Kong Museum of Art and at the Arts Promotion Office.

‘Life Friendly Events’ in January and February 2012

Trevor Chan — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:21:14 +0000

As part of an ongoing research project into positive approaches to art and sustainability here at Chinese Arts Centre, we are delighted to announce a series of new events taking place over the next couple of months. We will be inviting a range of artists, ecologists, scientists, researchers and environmentalists to share their insights into sustainable practice, and try to use the information given to create both new practical approaches to sustainable ways of working as well as new work made by local artists which respond to the themes of each event.

We will be confirming the speakers and event dates within next week so keep a look out for more information. In the mean time though, please feel free to contact the programme coodinator to find out more about all things Life Friendly.

These events are kindly supported by the Small Change Big Change Initiative (which is part of the Green Museum/ Manchester Cultural Leaders Environmental Forum).

Chinese New Year 2012 – Wishing Tree

Trevor Chan — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 16:04:36 +0000

Main Gallery

Chinese New Year
Wishing Tree Installation
10 – 28 January 2012

Come down to Chinese Arts Centre this January to join us in celebrating Chinese New Year! Our gallery will be filled with colourful works made by both the public and artists in and around Manchester.

Manchester based artists Olivia Glasser and Lu Di will be creating a large-scale sculptural installation inspired by the traditional Chinese wishing tree. Visitors to the ancient Lam Tsuen Wishing Trees, near the Tin Hau Temple in Hong Kong, would write their wish on a piece of paper, tie it to an orange and throw it up into the branches. It was believed that the wish would come true if the orange did not fall. Olivia and Lu Di’s take on this ancient tradition will see our sculptural tree continuously grow with a colourful array of wishes from the people of Manchester. Visitors can also make their own Chinese lantern to add to the tree in our workshop area as well as see what other visitors, artists and groups have created.

Call out for Artist Submissions

Trevor Chan — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 17:30:36 +0000

Opportunity

Call Out for Artist Submissions
Email us by 3 January 2012
Deadline: Tuesday 10 January 2012

To celebrate Chinese New Year, artists Olivia Glasser and Lu Di are collaborating on a large-scale sculptural installation inspired by the Chinese tradition of the wishing tree. Visitors to the ancient Lam Tsuen Wishing Trees, near the Tin Hau Temple in Hong Kong, would write their wish on a piece of paper, tie it to an orange and throw it up into the branches. It was believed that the wish would come true if the orange did not fall down.

Brief
We would like Manchester-based artists to submit responses to the Chinese New Year traditions of paper lanterns and the Lam Tsuen Wishing Tree.

Selected submissions will be hung in our installation from 10–28 January 2012. You can be as imaginative as possible with the Chinese lantern and the tradition of the wishing tree - we only ask that it is exciting, creative and able to hang on the branches of our tree.

We see this ancient tradition of the tree sculpture continuously grow with a colourful array of wishes from the people of Manchester- the tree installation expanding according to artists' input. The installation will provide Manchester creatives with the opportunity to exhibit their work in the gallery space of Chinese Arts Centre, alongside other artists, galleries, community groups and visitors' contributions.

Criteria
Work must be created using the traditional Chinese New Year colours of red, pink, orange and gold, be no larger than 40cmx40cmx40cm and must weigh a maximum of 500g.

Deadline
Expression of interest to be sent to chinesenewyear@chinese-arts-centre.org by
3 January 2012.

Lanterns must be handed in by 5pm, Tuesday 10 January 2012 to
Chinese Arts Centre, Market Buildings, Thomas Street. Manchester, M4 1EU

Recruitment for a new Chair for Chinese Arts Centre

Trevor Chan — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:44:01 +0000

Opportunity

Recruitment for a new Chair for Chinese Arts Centre

Chinese Arts Centre in Manchester is the UK's international agency for Chinese contemporary visual arts.

From 2012, we will receive a significant increase in our funding from Arts Council England becoming a National Portfolio Organisation. We are currently seeking a new Chair willing to be an active and energetic champion for Chinese Arts Centre.

We are keen to hear from people who will be committed to the organisation, have strategic connections, particularly within the non-arts private and public sectors, and be able to give the necessary time, energy and commitment to help lead Chinese Arts Centre through the next stages of our development.

We strive to achieve a 'balanced' board with half of our members being of Chinese descent believing they can bring valuable experience and understanding of Chinese culture and society. We are particularly keen to attract a Chair from such a background to maintain that balance.

You can download the recruitment information pack from the link below:
Chinese_Arts_Centre_Chair_Recruitment_Information_131211.pdf

If you are interested in an initial informal and confidential discussion about this opportunity please contact Howard Rifkin, Trustee and Chair of Appointments Committee Chinese Arts Centre on 07724 190 625.

Jeremy Hutchison

Trevor Chan — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 15:35:36 +0000

Firststep Showcase

Jeremy Hutchison
Err
14 January 2012 – 12 May 2012

In January 2011, Jeremy Hutchison sent an email to factories all over the world. He wanted to know what happens when you lodge an error in the 'smooth wheels of globalisation'. Err is a project developed as part of Jeremy's MA Degree show at Slade, London. The works represent a collection of objects, made by individual factory workers with a specific design fault of their own choice. From the 17 collected objects, 6 were made in China. The First Step Space will showcase these individually crafted objects along with their creators' details, raising issues of miscommunication, function and dysfunction, and mass-production verses the unique.

Grotto Shop – The best of local art and design

Trevor Chan — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 18:26:07 +0000

Christmas Pop Up Shop

Grotto group and Friends
This festive season Chinese Arts Centre is delighted to hand over its teahouse space to the Grotto shop. Grotto is a local art and design group who pop up each year to offer a variety of lovingly made and hand crafted Christmas gifts for you to buy! Local artists and designers include Tasha Whittle, Fraser Chapman, Michiko Fujii, Gemma Parker, Mandy Tolley to name but a few.

Click on the thumbnails to see some of the items for sale in the Grotto Shop

Education Project – Caldershaw Primary School take over Chinese Arts Centre

Trevor Chan — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:13:35 +0000

Main Gallery - Education Project

Newtopia
15 – 23 December 2011
Nicola Colclough, Tasha Whittle (TXLW) & Pupils from Caldershaw Primary School
Late night opening with Tasha Whittle and Nicola Colclough: 16 December 2011 5-7pm

Caldershaw Primary School take over Chinese Arts Centre to create their own Utopian vision in Manchester City Centre.

As part of an innovative new education project, Chinese Arts Centre is collaborating with a group of schools across the North West to create and exhibit their own work within the gallery.

The first of the schools to collaborate on the project is Caldershaw Primary School in Rochdale. Responding to recent work by Chinese based art collective, Utopia Group (He Hai and Deng Dafei) and the work the pair created during their Breathe residency here at Chinese Arts Centre, the children have been busy creating their own work in a series of workshops. Working alongside local artists Tasha Whittle and Nicola Colclough the children have been exploring ideas around Utopia and what it means to them. The work will reflect the children's vision of Utopia including a world with no sprouts to environmentally friendly wind turbines, and a world full of love, friendship and lots of cushions!

All this will be displayed in specially designed utopian wig-wams, inspired by the children's first visit to the gallery.

Part of the START programme, this project is funded by The Prince's Foundation for Children and the Arts which aims to open the doors of cultural venues to children across the country from a wide variety of backgrounds. In getting to know their local cultural venues, and becoming confident in using these spaces, the project aims to encourage the children to become increasingly confident and creative in their own right.

Live Performance by Seaming To

Trevor Chan — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 13:19:46 +0000

Live Performance

Seaming To
Songs for My Grandmother
Performances:
Manchester @ Chinese Arts Centre - 23 February 2012
London @ Vortex Jazz Club - 26 February 2012

Songs for My Grandmother is an ambitious new work by vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer Seaming To.

It brings together the skills and experience of three generations of Chinese women. This new work will involve Seaming on vocal and electronics, and her mother Enloc Wu on piano. It is a homage to and celebration of one woman's life seen through the eyes of her grand-daughter in collaboration with a poet, Judy Kendall. Seaming will interview her grandmother about her upbringing and experience in order to set her grandmother's words and memories to lyrics.

Seaming studied at the Royal College of Music, London before continuing operatic studies under Teresa Cahill at the Royal Northern College of Music. Seaming has toured nationally and internationally. She has performed at venues such as the National Theatre, the Barbican and the RSC as well as festivals such as the London Jazz Festival, Ether, Meltdown, Chalon, Transmusicales and Sonar.

This project has been supported by the PRS for Music.